REMEMBERING MALCOLM GLAZER

As owner of the Buccaneers, he reinvented a franchise and reinvigorated a community.

The path that brought Malcolm Glazer to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995 originated in his father’s watch-parts business in Rochester, N.Y., where the younger Glazer started working when he was 15. It is no surprise then, that upon taking over the Buccaneers, he wanted to know exactly what made the organization tick.

Malcolm Glazer passed away on May 28, 2014 at the age of 85. During his nearly two decades as owner and president of the Buccaneers, virtually every facet of the team was closely examined and, where necessary, rebuilt. The result was a stunning turnaround for what had been one of the NFL’s long-struggling franchises.

Glazer inherited a team with a .300 winning percentage during its first 19 years of existence, one with just two division titles, a single playoff win and, of course, no championship trophies. In just two years, with a new coach on the sideline and bold new uniforms on the players, a 16-year playoff drought was over. The team would move into a gorgeous new stadium the following year, and win a division title and advance to the conference championship game the year after that. By January 2003, Glazer was triumphantly holding the Lombardi Trophy over his head, grinning from ear to ear while surrounded by a team that had just defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Positive changes continued without interruption. The Buccaneers moved into a new state-of-the-art training facility and headquarters in 2006, the most advanced NFL home in the league. They won three division titles in a seven-year span. In 1997, they started a string of consecutive game sellouts at Raymond James Stadium that would last a dozen years, an unprecedented run in franchise history. Glazer also landed Super Bowls XXXV and XLIII for Tampa, the third and fourth to be played in the city. Through it all, community outreach and customer service became central organizational goals.

But Glazer’s desire to understand the Buccaneers’ inner gears – and have them work with maximum efficiency – went beyond new buildings and organizational charts. He was keenly interestedin the people of the organization as well. He took great pleasure in greeting each player in the locker room with a handshake before and after games. He fostered a family atmosphere at team headquarters, according to a source no less credible than Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks. Brooks was one of many long- time Buccaneers who considered Mr. Glazer not just the team’s owner but a personal friend.

“I’m proud to say – and I’m glad – that he’s the only owner I ever played for,” said Brooks, who was a first- round draft pick in 1995, the same year Glazer arrived.

Despite the team’s decade- and-a-half of struggles, Glazer immediately realized that a passionate fan base existed. The area’s obsession with the Buccaneers was ready to be rekindled if the team could show an unwavering commitment to winning.

Glazer and his family did exactly that, and they did it by being pioneers in the industry, creating innovative solutions for issues at all levels of the organization. They also did it by aggressively pursuing the right people to lead the team, and then providing them with the assets they needed to succeed.

And while Glazer restored the community’s belief in its team, he also reached outto those who needed help within that community. This was of such importance to him that in 1999 he established the Glazer Family Foundation, which has since donated millions and reached countless thousands in need. A new stadium and a striking new team facility now grace the region’s skyline, but a third building in downtown Tampa is just as much a part of Malcolm Glazer’s legacy: The Glazer Children’s Museum, which opened its doors in 2010.

Malcolm Glazer left behind his wife, Linda, in addition to six children and 14 grandchildren. His children will continue to own and operate the franchise as they have throughout the family’s ownership. They will do so by following the blueprint of a visionary man and a caring leader, a man who gave the franchise a new era of enormous success by caring about how the little details worked.

REMEMBERING MALCOLM GLAZER

As owner of the Buccaneers, he reinvented a franchise and reinvigorated a community.

The path that brought Malcolm Glazer to purchase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995 originated in his father’s watch-parts business in Rochester, N.Y., where the younger Glazer started working when he was 15. It is no surprise then, that upon taking over the Buccaneers, he wanted to know exactly what made the organization tick.

Malcolm Glazer passed away on May 28, 2014 at the age of 85. During his nearly two decades as owner and president of the Buccaneers, virtually every facet of the team was closely examined and, where necessary, rebuilt. The result was a stunning turnaround for what had been one of the NFL’s long-struggling franchises.

Glazer inherited a team with a .300 winning percentage during its first 19 years of existence, one with just two division titles, a single playoff win and, of course, no championship trophies. In just two years, with a new coach on the sideline and bold new uniforms on the players, a 16-year playoff drought was over. The team would move into a gorgeous new stadium the following year, and win a division title and advance to the conference championship game the year after that. By January 2003, Glazer was triumphantly holding the Lombardi Trophy over his head, grinning from ear to ear while surrounded by a team that had just defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Positive changes continued without interruption. The Buccaneers moved into a new state-of-the-art training facility and headquarters in 2006, the most advanced NFL home in the league. They won three division titles in a seven-year span. In 1997, they started a string of consecutive game sellouts at Raymond James Stadium that would last a dozen years, an unprecedented run in franchise history. Glazer also landed Super Bowls XXXV and XLIII for Tampa, the third and fourth to be played in the city. Through it all, community outreach and customer service became central organizational goals.

But Glazer’s desire to understand the Buccaneers’ inner gears – and have them work with maximum efficiency – went beyond new buildings and organizational charts. He was keenly interestedin the people of the organization as well. He took great pleasure in greeting each player in the locker room with a handshake before and after games. He fostered a family atmosphere at team headquarters, according to a source no less credible than Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks. Brooks was one of many long- time Buccaneers who considered Mr. Glazer not just the team’s owner but a personal friend.

“I’m proud to say – and I’m glad – that he’s the only owner I ever played for,” said Brooks, who was a first- round draft pick in 1995, the same year Glazer arrived.

Despite the team’s decade- and-a-half of struggles, Glazer immediately realized that a passionate fan base existed. The area’s obsession with the Buccaneers was ready to be rekindled if the team could show an unwavering commitment to winning.

Glazer and his family did exactly that, and they did it by being pioneers in the industry, creating innovative solutions for issues at all levels of the organization. They also did it by aggressively pursuing the right people to lead the team, and then providing them with the assets they needed to succeed.

And while Glazer restored the community’s belief in its team, he also reached outto those who needed help within that community. This was of such importance to him that in 1999 he established the Glazer Family Foundation, which has since donated millions and reached countless thousands in need. A new stadium and a striking new team facility now grace the region’s skyline, but a third building in downtown Tampa is just as much a part of Malcolm Glazer’s legacy: The Glazer Children’s Museum, which opened its doors in 2010.

Malcolm Glazer left behind his wife, Linda, in addition to six children and 14 grandchildren. His children will continue to own and operate the franchise as they have throughout the family’s ownership. They will do so by following the blueprint of a visionary man and a caring leader, a man who gave the franchise a new era of enormous success by caring about how the little details worked.